About this quote

Names and labels don't change facts. If you believe a label without checking, you leave yourself open to surprises and avoidable mistakes. Look for the concrete signs that matter — paperwork, tests, a clear explanation — and ask one direct question before you trust a claim. If someone relabels risk as comfort, call it out or walk away.

When to use it

• At a vendor demo when they kept saying the product was 'secure,' I interrupted with, "Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck — show me the penetration test."
• In the baby aisle my sister wanted a cheap 'duck' with odd seams; I said, "If it doesn't have safety markings, don't call it a duck — put it back."
• At a used-car lot the salesman kept calling a rusty vehicle 'recently refurbished'; I quoted the line and asked for service records before I signed anything.
• During a lab meeting when weak results were rebranded as 'promising,' I said, "You can call an electric eel a duck, but let's see the numbers."